Keeping Employees Happy

“Talent is increasingly the only sustainableÂ differentiator organizations have,” says Douglas Matthews, president and COO for Right Management, a division of the workforce solutions organization Manpower. But according to Matthews, retaining, recruiting, and managing top-level performers will also become increasingly difficult for companies. “Developing and pursing a coherent talent management strategy is essential to executing on business strategy.” Here is what Matthews sees as trends that will affect talent management this year:
Talent will look elsewhere for opportunities. In a poll of 1,400 employees, 84% said they would look for a new job in 2011, a reflection of discontent and frustration among workers. “Any employer that does not recognize the mood will suffer by the oversight.”

Competitors will contact top performers. In a separate survey of 3,000 workers, 56% of those in managerial positions or higher reported being contacted by another company to discuss employment opportunities.

More employees will work virtually. “When we asked 330 employers about their virtual workers, we found that three out of four already have people who work remotely, and of those employers nearly half expect their number to increase significantly during the year ahead. But not every employee is suited for virtual work.” The challenge will be in how companies train and guide employees to perform optimally away from an office environment and deliver the results the organization expects.